Friday, October 17, 2014

GeekGirlCon 2014: Cosplay Capers

(Image: GGC Logo)

Costume play, or cosplay as it's commonly called, is a hallmark of sci-fi/fantasy/comic conventions everywhere. The presence of cosplayers in a crowd is an indicator that you're in the right place--or the wrong one--if you you're trying to avoid such zaniness.

I didn't dress up for this one-day adventure. Instead I wore business casual attire, which I regretted as soon as I entered the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC). I get overheated very easily, so I usually wear shorts, unless I'm at work, or the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately for me--and everyone around me--internal thermostat didn't reach the soak-my-clothes level.

Anyway, segwaying from physiology to cosplay: For GeekGirlCon (GGC) 2014, the "cosplayer" that was the biggest sensation this year, wasn't even human:

("Exterminate! Exterminate!")

Okay, the Seattle woman who built this roving Dalek was certainly flesh& blood...

...but everyone was impressed with her automated creation.

Although some of us wondered: Where did she store it? How does she transport it?

The Keeper of the Dalek wasn't saying...

Science Fiction Cosplayers

While we're on the subject of Dr. Who, I ran into the Daleks' nemesis:

I ran into two Captain Americas: The first, a young lady with a homespun knit helmet...

...while the second was this man with a World War II GI (as in "General Issue") look.

Which brings me to the subject of crossplay. I saw lots of women dressed as male characters. This is a fairly common during a convention like this. Less common are the guys dressed as females. Of the male-to-female crossplayers, I encountered one, possibly two. I wasn't sure about the second one because I was unfamiliar with the costume and only crossed paths in one fleeting moment without getting a chance to talk to the individual.

I didn't get either of their photos, along with scores of other cos & crossplayers. The heaviest concentration of cosplayers was among the vendor booths, but it was impossible for me to snap pictures on-the-fly, amongst such hustle & bustle.

Although I did manage to photograph Black Cat, probably plotting her next heist:

I recognized her as one of the exhibitors in Artist Alley and couldn't help teasing her about how she "stood guard" at her booth.

Her reply: "Oh. I was wondering why we weren't getting very many customers."

Fantasy Cosplayers:

After leaving Lady Sif, I happened to find Jeannie already out of her bottle, which I didn't qualify for getting three wishes.

And speaking of magic: Disney movies are known for their princesses and villainesses. However, my favorite Disney villain happens to be...

...Jafar. I liked how the character could transition smoothly from slippery sycophant to total psycho in a matter of seconds.

But getting back to the princesses, I crossed paths with the Snow Queen...

...several times. Wide-eyed girls were constantly flocking to her while their parents snapped photos. I managed to catch Elsa right after one such girl got her photo-of-a-lifetime.

Some folks even created their own characters, rather than mimic anyone else...

...like this elf queen, for instance. Her majesty told me she's also a regular at Renaissance Fairs

(Or is it "Faires?")

Anyway, in addition to clothing, cosplayers are often in need of weapons, armor and other items to complete their costumes. Most of these props are made of craft foam, and/or various, non-lethal, styrene-based material.

But if you want the tough stuff, check out...

...Sinister Metal Works. From what the master armorer told me, if the suit is fitted right, it's comfortable and very flexible to wear. He even demonstrated this by doing all sorts of bends & stretches. We then had a short discussion on how Hollywood gets history wrong.

Cosplay Pairs

Like anything else, cosplay is more fun if you can team-up with a friend that shares the same passion as you do.

Star Wars is a popular theme for cosplay. This Twi'lek jedi and clone trooper seem to be getting along...

...unlike this pair:

But at least they're not "mixing metaphors" like these two...

...or these guys:

My "Oh Myy" Moments

Even I don't own in a Starfleet uniform (yet), I can do a pretty good impersonation of George Takei's catchphrase: Oh myy!

During conventions like GGC something's bound to happen that will make you say, or at least think--oh myy!

My "Oh Myy Moment" occurred in the Men's Room, of all places. As I entered, I noticed a well-dressed individual standing by one of the sinks.

As I approached the sink, this person turned to me and in a pleasantly distinct feminine voice asked:

Am I in the Men's Room?

I was too stunned to do my George Takei impersonation, because momentary panic set in--I thought I walked into the Ladies' Room. After double-checking the sign at the entrance I told her the bad news that she was, indeed in the Men's Room.

She apologized, explaining she ducked into the first open door she found in order to fix her tie. At this point I noticed the tie-tying diagrams she had on the sink counter. I was impressed that instead of fleeing in embarrassment, she remained bound and determined to stay put and fix her tie.

Meanwhile--what was I doing?

I'll explain via our dialogue--which went something like this:

Me: Well miss, I'd love to help you. Unfortunately, I don't even know how to tie a tie. In fact, my daughter had to tie my tie for my wedding last year. Is that a costume, or are you just dressing up?

Me: Um...not really. I've heard of it, but never watched it. (My geek cred is rather anemic in some areas).

Her: Well, it's a spin-off of Dr. Who, and I'm playing the character Ianto Jones. My friend is playing Jack Harkness. They're buddies.

Me: Cool. Well, you look very nice.

Ianto: (Still trying to tie her tie) Thank you.

Me: (Leaving) Good luck with your tie and I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you with your tie.

While GeekGirlCon is all about empowered and empowering women, even the mightiest heroine has her damsel in distress moment. And naturally, my chance to render assistance got sucked out the airlock. Hopefully by next year's GGC, I'll have learned to tie a tie.

Later, I ran the Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness crossplayers--this time outside the Men's Room.

(Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones)

Ianto was happy she successfully tied her tie and introduced me to her friend. I thought I was interrupting their lunch, because Ianto was holding a try of coffee cups. So I took a quick picture, complimented both ladies on their costume and hastily made my way to the last panel discussion I wanted to attend.

Studio Spin-Offs

About the Director

I'm a retired USAF TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) member, now working for Washington State Emergency Management. In addition to being an Emergency Operations Specialist at my day/night/weekend job, I'm a Foreign Affairs Specialist, gamer and writer.
I maintain three blogs as an on-line platform. "Stern Rake Studio," my central site, explores a variety of topics on gaming, pop-culture and writing. "Station WTFO" is where I post comments and discussions on the national and international issues that concern us. Finally, "The Redshift Chronicles," is a spin-off of "Stern Rake Studio." This site focuses on sci-fi gaming and is home to my long-form webcomic "Breakout from Bongolaan."